


Let It Snow!

by DizzyDrea



Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21895747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Evergreen, North Carolina, nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains, is a beautiful, quaint town. Just the sort of place where Christmas Magic flourishes. When Tony and Ellie are snowed in over the holidays, they find out just how true that can be.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all, I wrote a Hallmark Christmas Movie(TM)! Well, I didn't write an actual Hallmark Christmas Movie(TM), but I wrote a story inspired by the many, many hours I've spent this holiday season watching Hallmark Christmas Movies(TM). (Thanks, Dad!) It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. I figured I'd sit down and write a 5k word bit of fluff. It's now at around 16k (holy smokes)!
> 
> Consider this my gift to all of you. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy Holidays everyone!
> 
> Disclaimer: NCIS and all its particulars are the property of CBS, Paramount, Donald P. Bellisario, Bellisarius Productions and a lot of other people who aren’t me. I am doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

_Oh, the weather outside is frightful,  
But the fire is so delightful.  
And since we've no place to go...  
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!_

~o~

"Why, exactly, are we doing this?"

Tony glanced at his passenger briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "Come on, Pro-Bish. What's not to like? We're in the Great Smokey Mountains, driving along a picturesque road, snow lightly falling, just days before Christmas. There are people who'd kill to be having this kind of Norman Rockwell moment."

"And I'm not one of them," Bishop said as she slouched down even further in the passenger seat. "It's days before Christmas and we're on a case! What did I do to piss off Gibbs, anyway?"

"This isn't him being pissed off," Tony said, chuckling even as he shook his head. "Him being pissed off would mean you and I were at the ass end of the planet chasing a guy who'd embezzled office supplies from the Logistics Division."

"I'm still not seeing a difference," she said. "How is this not the ass end of the world? I could be on a beach somewhere, but instead I'm here with you."

"Hey!" he said, only slightly outraged. It wasn't like he wanted to be chasing a suspect into the mountains during the holidays, but that was the assignment he was given. "And we're not chasing a guy pinching staplers. We're chasing a guy who stole a bunch of C4. From the SEALs. By all rights, not the sharpest tool in the shed, but still a crime we have to investigate." He paused, but when she opened her mouth to respond, he held up a finger. "And not exactly something we can put off until after New Year's. Besides, you weren't planning to go anywhere over the holidays, anyway. I know because I wasn't either. Because we're on call this year. So, what's this really about?"

Bishop huffed. "Nothing, really. It's just… this is the first Christmas after the divorce. I was kind of hoping the criminals could take a few days off so I could stay home and lick my wounds."

"Still stings, huh?" Tony asked. He glanced over again to find her staring out the passenger window, watching the scenery pass by.

"I feel like an idiot," Bishop said. "It's been almost a year and I still feel like I should have seen it coming. I'm an investigator, dammit. How did I miss Jake cheating on me?"

"We all have a blind spot when it comes to the people we care about," Tony said. He paused for a moment, but decided to just go ahead and say it. It wasn't like Bishop hadn't been briefed by McGee on his whole life when she joined the team. "My dad's been my blind spot for longer than I'd like to admit. It doesn't seem to matter how many times he—anyway. You're not alone, is my point."

"Yeah," she said, sighing. "I just wish I'd known… but then again, how could I have known when we met that this is where we'd end up?"

"You can't," he said gently. "When you meet someone, you have hopes. Everyone does, and the ones that don't end up bitter, lonely old men. Or women. Anyway, we all hope for the best when we start a relationship. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't do any good to dwell on the failures."

"You mean like you and Ziva?" Bishop asked. She waved her hand as soon as the words were out of her mouth. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. I know you guys were just colleagues."

"We were a bit more than colleagues," Tony said, admitting it out loud for the first time. "But nothing was ever going to come of it. She flirted and played coy and strung me along, but in the end, she really didn't need or want a man in her life. Rivkin was… well, she saw him as her equal, and I guess he was her one true love. I was just a distraction. We had… a moment, and now it's gone, just like her. She ran away when things got intense, so obviously I didn't mean that much to her."

"Wow, Tony," Bishop said. "I've never heard you open up like that."

Tony tilted his head back and forth, trying to shake off the discomfort that sharing had brought on. "Yeah, well, I learned at a young age that the personal could be used as a weapon by someone looking to use you to get ahead."

"And you don't think I'm going to use it against you," she said. "I'm oddly touched by that."

"No offense, but that's weird," Tony said. He turned to her and winked, hoping to break up the weirdness in the air.

They lapsed into silence as the miles faded away. At least they'd come prepared; the rental agency hadn't even wanted to discuss it once Tony had told them that they were headed into the mountains in pursuit of their suspect. The agent had just handed them the keys to an SUV. Tony had been content with a sedan, but now, with the snow beginning to fall, he was grateful for the agent's forethought.

"How much longer until we reach this place?" he asked as he checked the gas tank. Still above half a tank, so he figured they'd make it.

"According to my GPS," she said, wagging her phone briefly, "we're about thirty minutes out. Says here that State Route 25 goes right by Evergreen. It's above the snow line, so if this weather keeps up, we might have a problem."

"Is it weird at all to you that there's a town in North Carolina named 'Evergreen'? I mean, that’s like the worst cliche ever, right? A town called Evergreen, surrounded by... evergreens.”

Bishop snorted. "Not the strangest thing I've seen since coming to NCIS."

They lapsed into silence as the miles faded away, but it wasn't awkward at all. Tony was honestly enjoying traveling with Bishop. She was good company, but also knew when to sit quietly and just enjoy the moment. He had faith that, even if they were stuck in North Carolina for the holidays, they'd manage, and that wasn't something he could say about most of the people he knew.

~o~

They pulled into town just after lunch to find it bustling with pre-holiday preparations. There was festive green and red bunting on the light posts—honest-to-god cast iron light posts that looked like they belong in Victorian England, but still—and garlands strung across the streets. The buildings on either side of the main road had garlands and holly strung around the windows and doors, and there were some frankly amazing smells coming from both the bakery across the street and the diner they'd parked in front of.

"When did we get to Mayberry?" Bishop muttered.

Tony laughed. "It's like a Hallmark Christmas movie set. I didn't know places like this existed in real life."

"Well, of course they do."

Tony and Ellie spun around to find a sheriff standing on the sidewalk, sipping from a to-go coffee cup and giving them a raised eyebrow. Ellie thought he looked like Santa Claus with his full, white beard, but she didn't say it out loud. Tony appeared to gather himself as he walked up to the LEO and pulled out his badge. 

"Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, NCIS," he said, flashing his badge and ID along with one of his deadly smiles. Ellie slid up beside him and did the same. Well, she showed her ID, if not the full, charming smile. "And Special Agent Ellie Bishop, my partner."

"Out of the two of you, I'd say she's the special one," the sheriff said, winking at her. 

Ellie blinked, then felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. She could see Tony gaping at her from the corner of her eye, but she ignored him. Or tried to, anyway.

"You folks are a long way from home," the sheriff said. "What brings you to Evergreen?"

"Definitely not the evergreens," Ellie said sotto voce. Tony frowned at her even as the sheriff chuckled.

"We're looking for someone," Tony said. "Seaman First Class Allen Harper is wanted for questioning in a theft at Fort Bragg."

"Sheriff Nick Boyd, at your service," he said by way of an answer. "Haven't seen young Mr. Harper yet, but he usually comes home for the holidays. His grandmother still lives in Evergreen, so I expect him any day."

"Would you mind if we asked around town?" Ellie asked him. "Maybe see if anyone else has seen him?"

"Knock yourselves out," the Sheriff said. "You folks have a place to stay?"

"We only found out this morning we were coming up here," Tony said. "We hadn't had time to do much more than get a rental and get on the road."

"Well, then, your first stop should be the Columbia Inn," Sheriff Boyd said. "Just up the road. We're pretty full up with Christmas coming on, but Emma should have room for you."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Ellie said.

"And might I suggest dinner at Beverly's Diner?" the Sheriff said. "She makes the best roast beef in the east. Her egg nog's not bad either, but I'd sip slowly if I was you. She tends to get a little heavy-handed with the nog, if you know what I mean."

Tony chuckled. "Consider us warned, then." He pulled a card out of his pocket. "If you see Harper, let us know. I have no idea how dangerous is, so don't feel like you need to take him into custody. Just give me a call and we'll come get him."

"I doubt Harper'll be much trouble, but consider me warned," Boyd said as he ambled off. "You folks have a good day, now."

"Did any of that seem weird to you?" Tony asked, turning to Ellie.

She raised an eyebrow. "Which part? Sheriff Awe-Shucks, or his lack of concern that we're here to arrest one of his townspeople?"

"All of it," Tony said shrugging.

"Having grown up in a small town, I can definitely say that's pretty normal," Ellie said. "Come on, let's ask around and see if we can find Harper before sundown. Maybe we won't need to trade on Emma's hospitality."

"Sure," Tony said. "But first, lunch. I swear I can smell the roast beef from here."

"Fine, we can ask around at the diner while we eat," Ellie said.

She wasn't going to lie and say she wasn't hungry. But there was definitely something… unsettling about the town. Then again, she hadn't been home in a while. Small towns were their own unique animal. She figured they had about an hour before everyone in town knew who they were and what they were doing there.

~o~

Tony had honestly never eaten as well as he had at Beverly's Diner. The roast beef had indeed been the best meal of his life, and Bishop had even raved over the roast chicken she'd chosen. Beverly herself—a petite woman of indeterminate age with white hair and a huge, welcoming smile—had even come out to make sure the 'Navy Folks' had enjoyed their meal.

They'd wandered up and down the street, chatting with folks and stopping by several of the stores, asking around after Harper. No one had seen him—or at least, not that they'd admit, though it didn't seem to Tony like they were lying, so maybe they'd beaten their suspect to town.

"Well, it's getting late," Bishop said. "Looks like we're gonna need a room after all."

"Yeah," Tony said, sighing. They'd stopped in front of the bakery, and the smell of sweets and coffee was assaulting his senses, beckoning them inside. "Let's grab some coffee and regroup."

"Sure," Bishop said. 

They ducked inside the bakery, shaking the snow off their coats. It had been steadily growing worse, just one more reason why Tony thought they'd probably end up staying. Maybe through Christmas if their luck didn't turn, and while Tony wouldn't mind, he had no idea how Bishop would react.

"Hello," Bishop said as they stepped up to the counter.

"Oh, hello," the lady behind the counter said, big smile on her face. "You must be the Navy folks. Are you enjoying your day in town?"

"Um, yes?" Bishop said, though it sounded more like a question.

Tony couldn't say he blamed her for her confusion. They were supposed to be working, but it felt more like a weekend in the country.

"Good, good," the lady said, still smiling. Either she hadn't noticed Bishop's confusion, or didn't much care. "Now, what can I do for you? Some hot chocolate, perhaps? A cookie or maybe some gingerbread to go with it?"

"I'll have some of the hot chocolate," Tony said. More than one person they'd talked to over the course of the day had mentioned Evergreen Bakery's awesome hot cocoa. "And a chocolate chip cookie, please."

Bishop turned to him, raising an eyebrow. Tony just shrugged. "Can't fight City Hall."

"When in Rome?" Bishop asked. Tony nodded solemnly. If she were at all bothered by his acceptance of the weird, she didn't mention it, just turned back to the lady behind the counter. "I'll take some cocoa and a Snickerdoodle, please."

"You want the cookies warm?" she asked as she started bustling about.

"Yes, ma'am," Tony said.

Her head popped up from behind the case with the cookies. "Oh, please, call me Nora. No one stands on ceremony here."

"Okay," Tony said. He turned to Bishop as Nora moved around, making their hot chocolate and setting the cookies in an oven to warm. "It's like a Stepford town. Everyone's so… happy."

"Maybe they are," Bishop said. "Happy, I mean."

"You folks have any luck?"

Tony whipped around to find the Sheriff standing behind them. "Finding Harper? No, not yet. I'm thinking our tip was bad, because there's no way we beat him here."

"We'll have to head back to Fort Bragg in the morning and regroup," Bishop said. 

"I'd table those plans, if I were you," Boyd said. "Storm's getting worse. You're gonna need to head to the Inn soon. Emma has someone bring in food from the diner, so you won't have to worry about going hungry."

"I'd have thought she'd cook for her guests," Tony said. That was how it worked at every bed and breakfast he'd ever stayed in.

"Miss Emma can't cook a lick," the Sheriff said, smiling even as he shook his head. "Beverly pays her grandson and his friends to deliver food up to the Inn and to anyone in town who calls in an order. Those kids are pretty good at getting the food around town; Beverly keeps a snowmobile in the shed out back of her place for weather just like this."

"Huh," Bishop said. "That's actually… pretty cool."

"We think so," the Sheriff said. "Well, I'm headed home now. You folks have a good evening. Goodnight, Nora."

"Here you go, Sheriff," Nora said, handing a bag over the counter. "Say hello to Maggie for me."

"Will do," the Sheriff said, smiling. "Thanks."

He ambled off—again—leaving Tony and Bishop quietly confused. 

"Alright, folks," Nora said. They turned around to find her holding a tray with two steaming mugs and two plated cookies. "Two hot chocolates spiced with cinnamon, one chocolate chip cookie and one Snickerdoodle. Enjoy!"

"Thank you," Bishop said.

Tony reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Nora waved him off. "No need, young man. We honor our servicemen and women here."

"We aren't active duty, Nora," Tony said. "We're civilians working for the Navy."

"Sounds like you serve, to me," Nora said with a wink. "Now go enjoy those treats so you can get up to the Inn before the weather takes a turn."

Tony and Bishop looked at each other for a moment. Finally, Bishop shrugged her shoulders and sat down at a table in the corner. Tony joined her, carrying the tray with their treats.

"I hate to say it, but maybe we were wrong about where Seaman Harper was headed," Bishop said as Tony handed over her mug and cookie.

"I don't think so," Tony said. "His CO had him signed out for leave to go home for Christmas, but even if he hadn't, his bunkmate was pretty sure this is where he was headed. Maybe he was going to hide the explosives somewhere around here and then wait to sell or use them until after the investigation had cooled off."

"It's possible," Bishop said. She took a sip of her drink. "Oh, my god. Tony, this is amazing!"

Tony took a sip of the hot chocolate, his eyes closing in bliss. "Mmmmm… that is good."

"So, do you really think we're going to be stuck here for Christmas?" Bishop asked.

"It's possible," Tony said. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the apps until he found the weather. His eyebrow shot up. "Five feet of snow overnight. They're expecting snow all the way through Christmas. If they shut down the roads, we might not get out until after the holidays."

Bishop leaned back with her mug, blowing out a breath. "Wow. Okay, then. Good thing I brought an extra change of clothes. And my warm boots. I have a feeling I'm going to need them."

"You don't seem too upset to be missing out on Christmas back in DC," Tony said.

"Eh," Bishop said, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Not like I have any family in DC, apart from the team. And since we were supposed to be on call, I wasn't planning on going home. It'll be nice to spend the holiday someplace besides my apartment, honestly. Or the office. What about you? Don't you have any plans you'll be missing?"

"Not really," Tony said. He broke off a chunk of cookie and popped it into his mouth, experiencing another moment of bliss. Bishop watched him enjoying his cookie, then reached for her own when it became obvious he was hooked. "I mean, I can watch _It’s a Wonderful Life_ anywhere, really. I was planning a few days away over New Year's, but unless this is the Storm of the Century, I should be back before that."

"Where were you planning to go?"

"A couple of my frat brothers and I were going down to Florida for a couple of days to go golfing," Tony said, shrugging. "We try to do it every year. This wouldn't be the first time we'd have to reschedule, so I'm not worried."

"How did I not know you're a golfer?" Bishop asked, wrinkling her nose.

"It's not something I tend to advertise," Tony said. "Not exactly a normal leisure-time activity for a government agent."

"Not exactly a normal leisure activity for an _underpaid_ government agent," Bishop said. "You and I both know you have the financial resources to never work again, so I'm not going to begrudge you playing a sport you can clearly afford, and presumably enjoy."

"I do enjoy it," Tony said. "It's good exercise, and it doesn't tax my lungs the way some sports do."

"Do you still play basketball?" she asked.

"I do," he said, nodding. "And I still run whenever I get the chance. But both of those are harder on my lungs, and some days it's just too much. Golf is less strenuous. Well, less strenuous on the lungs. Equally, if not more strenuous on the back and knees."

"Are you worried at all about passing your fit-rep with your lungs the way they are?" she asked gently.

Tony took a deep breath. He appreciated her concern, oddly, considering he'd just call it rude or nosy if almost anyone else asked. "I can still pass the physical requirements for being a field agent, but that may not be the case forever. At some point, I'll have to retire from the field because of my lungs."

"Any idea what you'll do when that happens?" she asked.

"Not a clue," Tony said with a smile. "I've thought about going back to school to get a Master's in Film so I could teach. Of course, with the Master's Degree I already have, I could teach at FLETC, which has appeal."

"I'm sure Vance would rather keep you around," Bishop said. "Maybe promote you to Team Lead or offer you SAC."

"I doubt Vance has given it any thought at all," Tony said flatly. "He's never been particularly fond of me, though he's softened up toward me over the years. Given our history, I'm not sure I'd want to work directly for him. But, that's a long way off, so I have time to figure it out. What about you? Have you given any thought to what's next for you? SFA, perhaps?"

Bishop looked at him like he'd grown another head. "SFA? Me? I'm not—I don't know if I could be an SFA. I'm certainly not qualified right now."

"No, you're not," Tony said. "But at some point, you'll have enough years of experience. I think you'd make a great SFA. If you want, I can start mentoring you."

"What about Tim?" Bishop asked.

"McGee is being mentored by an SFA on one of the other teams," Tony said. When Bishop looked flummoxed, he explained. "Tim and I… we have a history together that made it hard for me to mentor him. He didn't exactly take me seriously at the beginning of our working relationship. He mistook my sense of humor for—"

"Slacking off," Bishop said. "I mean, I saw pretty much right away that you used humor and film commentary as a way to defuse the tension on the team. It helps, more than you know. Or, at least it helps me, anyway. Gets me out of my head."

"I'm glad you find it useful," Tony said. "McGee didn't like being the butt of so many jokes. And I think he resented my authority because he so often dismissed my experience as a LEO. We're in a better place now, but I knew if he wanted to learn to be an SFA one day, he wasn't going to learn it from me. But you could, if you wanted. I'd be happy to teach you."

"I'd like that," Bishop said, smiling through the blush on her cheeks.

Tony knew he shouldn't be charmed by it, but he was.

~o~

"Ah, Special Agents Bishop and DiNozzo, welcome to the Columbia Inn."

Tony stopped dead in his tracks, causing Ellie to almost run into him. She peeked around him to get a look at the source of his surprise. Standing behind the counter in the lobby of the inn was a tall, lean woman with dark hair and a thin, severe face. She raised an eyebrow at the two of them, standing near the door gawking.

Ellie recovered first. She shook the rest of the snow off her jacket and out of her hair and crossed the lobby, Tony trailing behind her. It had started snowing in earnest while they finished their hot chocolate, so they'd decided to forgo dinner or wandering into any other stores and headed straight for the Inn.

"Ma'am," Tony said.

"Name's Emma," she said with a nod. "We don’t stand on ceremony here."

"Sheriff Boyd told us we might be able to get rooms," Ellie said, smiling.

"Lucky for you he stopped by a little while ago," Emma said. "I've only got the one room left, but it's yours for the duration. The County won't be up to plow the roads until after Christmas, so you'll want to settle in."

"Looks like it'll be a white Christmas after all," Tony said ruefully. 

"Just sign here and I'll get your key," Emma said, spinning a quaint Lazy Susan with an equally quaint paper ledger to face them.

Tony picked up the pen and signed for the room. He pulled his wallet out and extracted his government credit card. When Emma turned back around with an honest-to-god key, he held out the card.

"Nope," she said as she handed the key to Ellie. "Pay when you leave. I'll keep a running tally of your charges. We can negotiate anything extra when you check out."

"Okay," Tony said, drawing out the word. "That's new."

"Room Four," Emma said, waving at the staircase off to one side. "Top of the stairs and turn left. I'm up with the dawn patrol, so coffee'll be ready in the dining room around six. Breakfast at eight. Dinner's usually seven, so you're just in time tonight. Towels in your room, as well as spare blankets. Fireplace works, so feel free to light it if you get cold. There won't be any paper delivery, what with the snow, but the wifi's free and we get good internet up here, so you won't be bored."

"Wow, you think of everything," Ellie said. 

"Been doing this a long time, darlin'," Emma said with a nod. "It's gotten so this place could run itself if I wasn't here."

"And miss out on your charm?" Tony said, winking at her. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know Allen Harper, would you?"

"I know him," Emma said. She crossed her arms, giving Tony a gimlet eye. "Good kid; raised by his grandmother, Mary Bailey. She's the town librarian. Her husband, George, used to manage the bank. She helped raise Allen and his cousin, Treyvon Dillon. Thick as thieves, those two, though Treyvon was always a troublemaker. Those boys could almost be twins, matter of fact. And before you ask, I haven't seen either one of them, though Allen does tend to come home most Christmases."

Ellie shared a look with Tony, then turned back to Emma. "You're pretty plugged into the gossip in town, huh?"

Emma smiled, sharp and predatory. "President of the Smokey Mountains chapter of Busybodies Anonymous. Not a thing happens in this town that I don't know about."

"Good to know," Ellie said, smiling.

"Lasagna for dinner tonight," Emma said, turning to head toward what looked like a small office tucked behind the front desk. "I wouldn't recommend being late. Beverly's lasagna is famous in this town. Wouldn't want you to miss out because you… dallied in your room."

"Oh, we're not that kind of partners, Emma," Ellie rushed to say.

Emma looked back over her shoulder, giving both Tony and Ellie a good once-over. "Sure, you're not."

Ellie was sure that the utterly flummoxed look on Tony's face was mirrored on her own, but he just shook his head and hitched his bag higher on his shoulder as he headed for the stairs. He turned left at the top of the stairs, just as Emma had directed. Ellie slid the key into the lock when they reached Number Four; a quick twist and the lock gave way.

She pushed the door wide and they stood there, staring. It was almost like a time capsule. A large four-poster bed dominated the room, piled high with white linens and pillows. Across from the bed there was a large fireplace with a fire already burning merrily within. Two wing chairs flanked the fireplace. Along the wall with the door there was a beautiful armoire. 

"Wow," Tony said. "It's like we've stepped into a Dickens movie. I feel like I should be checking the wardrobe for the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and/or Future."

Ellie huffed a laugh as she walked into the room. "You gonna be okay sharing a bed?"

"If I apologize now for my starfish tendencies, will you forgive me?" Tony asked.

Tony dropped his bag on the bench at the foot of the bed. Ellie set hers down on one of the wing chairs. She spotted a door on the other side of the fireplace. A quick check showed a private bathroom.

"We probably shouldn't ask how much this is costing us per night," Ellie said, tilting her head toward the bathroom. "It looks like a spa in there."

"Flat screen TV," Tony said, pointing to the spot above the fireplace. "With the free wifi, we should be able to stream just about anything we want to watch."

"Including _It's a Wonderful Life_?" Ellie asked, raising one eyebrow.

Tony shot her a smile. "Of course. Unless you'd rather not. I can watch on my tablet with my headphones on."

"No, no," Ellie said. "It's okay. I prefer _White Christma_ s, but I'll watch just about any Christmas movie. As long as there's popcorn."

"We'll have to check with Emma," Tony said.

"She seemed pretty sure we were more than professional partners," Ellie said casually.

Tony shrugged. "She's a huge gossip, by her own admission. I'm sure she was just fishing for information. It doesn't matter to me what she thinks, but I'll take her aside if you'd rather she didn't think that."

"Eh," Ellie said. "Not sure it matters. It's not like we're ever going to see her again, once we leave."

"Mind if I use the bathroom?" Tony asked. "I'd like to clean up and change before dinner."

"Knock yourself out," Ellie said. "I'll just put my stuff away in the wardrobe. That okay?"

"Fine by me," Tony said. He grabbed his bag and headed for the bathroom. "There's a dresser over there that I can use. Might as well get comfortable. No telling how long we're going to be here."

"One of us should call Gibbs," Ellie said. "Let him know what's going on."

"I nominate you," Tony said from the doorway of the bathroom. "Consider it your first lesson in being an SFA. How to report progress without pissing off the boss."

Ellie laughed as she watched Tony disappear into the bathroom. She felt like she had a pretty good read on Gibbs, so reporting in wouldn't bother her. The worst he could do would be to hang up on her, but he did that on a normal day, so she wasn't going to be offended at all.

~o~

Dinner, as it turned out, was served family-style in the main dining room of the Inn. Beverly's lasagna was, indeed, the best Tony had ever had, with all apologies to his Italian grandmother. He'd had two helpings before he'd finally pushed his plate away. He'd even been impressed with the wine Emma had served—a Barolo from the Puglia region that he'd never heard of but resolved to find the next time he visited with his wine-distributor buddy.

After dinner, Emma brought out a huge plate piled high with festively-decorated cookies and several carafes of hot chocolate. 

"Eat hearty, folks," she said, grinning as she dusted off her hands on her apron, then turned and disappeared back into the kitchen to finish the dishes.

Tony watched as the guests took a dessert plate and added cookies to it, then grabbed a carafe and headed for their room. He turned to Bishop, raising an eyebrow. Bishop tilted her head toward the sideboard where the cookies and hot chocolate were waiting.

Decision made, they got up and grabbed the cookies and cocoa and headed up to their room.

Once in the room, Bishop found two mugs on the dresser. Tony didn't think they'd been there earlier, but he couldn't be sure. They really hadn't spent a whole lot of time in the room before dinner.

"I'm just going to get… comfortable," Bishop said.

"Go ahead," Tony said, waving her off. "I'll wait until you're done."

Bishop grabbed some clothes out of the wardrobe and headed for the bathroom. Tony reached into his laptop bag and pulled out the Roku stick he kept stashed there. He switched on the TV and plugged in the device. It lit up just like it was supposed to, making Tony smile just a little. He hadn't been kidding when he'd said he could make do as long as he could stream a movie.

He set up the movie he wanted to watch, then swapped out the jeans and sweater he was wearing for sweats and a sweatshirt. When Bishop came out of the bathroom, she was dressed similarly.

"I'm just gonna—" he said, waving at the bathroom. "Go ahead and get comfy. I've got something you're gonna love."

He popped into the bathroom and took care of business, humming a Christmas carol under his breath as he did so. When he realized what he was doing, he smiled and shook his head. Seemed like the Christmas spirit that had infected the town had finally infected him as well.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, it was to find Bishop propped up on the pillows at the head of the bed, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in one hand and the plate of cookies on the bed beside her. Tony grabbed the remote for the Roku and climbed up onto the bed beside her.

She picked up the other mug from the bedside table and handed it to him. "There's enough for about one more mug each, so don't feel like you have to go slow."

"Thanks," he said. 

He settled back and hit the remote; the theme music to the movie swelled out of the speakers on the TV. Bishop turned to look at him, that damnable eyebrow raised. 

"What?" he said, trying to look innocent. "You said it was your favorite. I figure if we're still here tomorrow night, you can watch my favorite with me."

Bishop smiled. "Thank you, Tony."

"You're welcome, Bish—Ellie," he said, smiling back. He held up his mug and waited until she'd clinked hers with his. "To White Christmases."

"And Wonderful Lives," Bishop said, smiling at him.

He tossed the remote on the bed beside him and settled in to enjoy the evening.

~o~


	2. Chapter 2

~o~

The sun was so bright it was making Ellie's eyes hurt even though they were closed. She was curled up in bed, warmer than she'd expected to be considering the fire had burned out sometime around the end of the movie. 

She stretched a little, but found herself barely able to move. That little movement seemed to rouse Tony just a bit; he snuggled closer to her, squeezing her gently where he had an arm wrapped around her middle. She pressed a smile into her pillow.

"Wha time izzit?"

"Early," Ellie said. "Too damned early."

"Should I 'pologize for this?" Tony asked.

"I think you got your marine creatures wrong," Ellie said with a chuckle. "This is more octopus than starfish."

Tony rolled a little, flopping onto his back. "If I promise to go get coffee, can we never speak of this again?"

Ellie rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "I tell you what. You bring me coffee, and I might let you do it again tonight. No questions asked."

"Really?" Tony asked, looking at her.

Ellie nodded. "Really. Now, go, before I change my mind."

"One cup of coffee, coming up," Tony said, rolling out of bed.

"One cup?" Ellie said as she sat up. "Try a whole carafe. Then we'll talk."

"When did Gibbs get here?" Tony asked playfully.

Instead of answering, Ellie threw a pillow at him. He laughed as he dodged the pillow and pulled the door open.

~o~

"I was thinking maybe we'd head down to the library after breakfast," Ellie said.

They were sitting at the dining room table, sipping at their third cup of coffee of the morning. Ellie had expected things to be awkward, what with waking up to find Tony spooned up behind her. But instead of awkward, she'd been… charmed. Almost pleased. Definitely comfortable. She was trying not to think too hard about that.

"Hmmm." Tony looked at her over the top of his mug. "Talk to Mary Bailey, maybe? See if she knows where her grandson is?"

"Library opens at nine," Emma said as she picked up the breakfast dishes. "It snowed all night, so you're not driving, but it's not a far walk."

"Thank you, Emma," Ellie said, smiling at the other woman.

Emma nodded, scooped up the dishes and headed for the kitchen.

"Does that seem familiar at all to you?" Ellie asked as she watched Emma head for the kitchen.

"What, her?" Tony asked. "The Inn?"

"Yeah," Ellie said, letting out a breath. Her mind drifted back to _White Christmas_ last night. "The Inn, the people. All of it."

"It's Christmas magic," Emma said matter-of-factly as she returned to the dining room to pick up the last of the dishes. "We store it in the barn out back the rest of the year."

Ellie couldn't help it; she laughed. Tony's face lit up with amusement, though he somehow managed to refrain from laughing himself.

"You ready for a little walk?" Tony asked, still smiling.

"As I'll ever be," Ellie said. She set down her mug and stood up, shrugging into her jacket and winding her scarf around her neck. "Let's go."

Tony stood and pulled on his jacket. He'd opted for his jeans and a jade green sweater that made his eyes nearly glow. It was hell on her nerves, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to actually focus with all this newly-discovered hotness going on. She wasn't even sure when she'd started thinking of her SFA as hot, much less male.

On the way out the door, Emma hollered after them. "Don't forget, the Christmas Faire is still going on in the park. You can do your last-minute shopping while you're down there!"

"Thank you, Emma," Tony called out.

They stepped out on to the porch and just stopped. It was truly a winter wonderland outside. A blanket of snow covered everything, though there was a path from the front porch to the sidewalk. Someone had clearly been up early with a snow shovel. Ellie would put her money on a kid from town earning some extra cash.

They made their way down the path; Tony swung the gate open and waited for Ellie to pass. They stepped out onto the sidewalk, and almost instantly Ellie's feet slipped on the icy pavement. She grabbed onto Tony's arm. He wobbled but held steady.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," she said. She tried to take a step, but her foot slipped a little, so she stopped moving. "Clearly this is going to be a problem."

"Here," Tony said, holding out his elbow. "Take my arm. Maybe if you have someone to lean on, you won't lose your footing so quickly."

Ellie tucked her hand into the crook of Tony's elbow. He pulled her snug to his side and headed down the sidewalk toward town. She felt steadier leaning into Tony's side. It was nice, because she didn't like the idea of sliding on her backside into town.

~o~

The town library was a ten-minute walk from the Inn. The building itself was red brick and two stories high, festively decorated with garlands and poinsettias. It was just after nine when they arrived at the front door. Tony pulled the door open and held it for Ellie, who was giving him a look he couldn't quite decipher.

Once inside, Tony did a quick sweep of the place. It was a typical library; a large circulation desk in the front—round, so it could be accessed from all sides—and rooms to the left and right that held books on shelves, some floor to ceiling. A wide staircase rose behind the circulation desk leading to a second floor. Tony had no idea what might be up there, but it couldn't be more books. The town wasn't that large.

"A couple of large meeting rooms and a banquet hall," the woman behind the counter said. "In case you were curious."

Tony unaccountably felt a blush heat his cheeks. It was second nature to him to take stock of his surroundings anytime he found himself in a new place. His first training officer with the Peoria PD had drilled that into him.

"Ma'am," he said as he stepped forward. He pulled out his badge and flashed it for the woman to see. Ellie did the same beside him. "Special Agents DiNozzo and Bishop. We'd like to speak to Mary Bailey."

"I'm Mary Bailey," she said. "How can I help you?"

"Wait, you're Allen's grandmother?" Ellie blurted out.

Ms. Bailey just chuckled. "I certainly am. I was a young bride, you see. Just sixteen when my husband left for the War. Not all that uncommon back then."

Mary Bailey certainly didn't look like she had a nineteen-year-old grandson. She wasn't very tall and kind of slim, but Tony thought her looks might have been deceiving. Still, he could see where Allen Harper got his looks. They shared the same coffee-colored skin and almond-shaped eyes.

"Ma'am, we're looking for your grandson," Ellie said gently. "We need to ask him some questions regarding a theft at the base he works at. Do you know where he is?"

"Lordy, you Navy people don't talk to each other, do you?" Mrs. Bailey said, shaking her head in dismay. 

"How's that?" Tony asked.

"Allen called me yesterday morning to tell me he'd been recalled for the holidays," she said, shaking her head. "Too bad, too. I was looking forward to seeing him over Christmas. He promised he'd get home by New Year's, but it still won't be the same."

"And he didn't mention anything about the investigation?" Ellie asked.

"No, but he's been away at training for the last few weeks, so he may not have known," Mrs. Bailey said. She narrowed her eyes at them. "If you're thinking he did whatever it is you're investigating, you'd best think twice. My Allen's a good boy. Whatever it is you think he did, he didn't do it. Now Treyvon... That boy,” she said, shaking her head.

"We—"

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Bailey," Tony said, tugging on Ellie's sleeve. "You have a Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too," she said, smiling at them, as if the issue was settled and she could move on to more important things.

Tony stayed quiet until they were outside on the sidewalk.

"Okay, what are you thinking?" Ellie asked.

"I'm thinking maybe Treyvon the Troublemaker is worth a look," Tony said.

"You think he maybe borrowed his cousin's ID to get on the base?" Ellie asked. "Emma did say they look alike, so it wouldn't be a stretch. Where'd he get a uniform, though?"

"Surplus shop, probably," Tony said. "It wouldn't be hard to find one. Plus, they've got all sorts of patches and tabs online. It's a wild and wonderful frontier, the internet. Makes our job a little bit tougher."

"Yeah, especially since we've been chasing the wrong kid," Ellie said. "We have no idea where Treyvon might be, and no way to track him. And we're stuck in Whoville until the snow melts."

"Look at you," Tony said, pride swelling up in his chest. "Making pop culture references as easy as breathing."

Ellie smirked at him. "So, now what?"

"Now, we call McGee and have him run Treyvon's sheet," Tony said, pulling out his phone. "And maybe see if we can get a trace on his phone."

"Let's hope he's stupid enough to have come home anyway," Ellie said. 

Tony smiled. "The best criminals are."

"And while we wait for Tim to do his magic, we can visit the Christmas Faire," Ellie said. "Personally, I'm hoping for chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Never had those before."

"Then you are missing out, my dear," Tony said. He dropped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close as he dialed his phone and steered them toward downtown. "Prepare to be amazed."

~o~

The Christmas Faire was like a little slice of home to Ellie. They hadn't had anything quite that elaborate back in Oklahoma, but she remembered the church going all out for the holiday every year. There was the Christmas concert the Saturday before Christmas, followed by a potluck, and Christmas Eve services that were the highlight of the season.

The Evergreen Christmas Faire was like an early celebration for the town. The park across the street from Beverly's Diner was awash with people, both selling and browsing. Beverly had set up a booth serving quick and easy foods that people could eat while they walked around. The bakery had all their treats for sale at their booth, as well as plenty of hot chocolate. There were games and even a band playing Christmas songs. It was all very festive.

Most of the shops along the main street had sales going on. In light of the new information they had about Seaman Harper and his cousin, Tony and Ellie split up and walked through some of the Main Street shops, this time asking about Treyvon in addition to Allen Harper. 

Thus far, Ellie had been striking out, though no one was overtly hostile when she asked about Treyvon. Ellie got the impression that most of the town wasn't exactly fond of the younger man. Several mentioned all the trouble he used to get in as a young boy in town, and how they'd been sad to see Allen following along in Treyvon's wake. 

Somewhere along the way, though no one was quite specific about when, the two boys' paths diverged. Allen chose the Navy and Treyvon chose… Well, a life of crime wouldn't be an overstatement, if some of the shopkeepers were to be believed.

She and Tony had met for lunch at Beverly's to compare notes. He wasn't having any better luck, but considering how much experience with misbehaving Treyvon had, Ellie was of the opinion that he could and probably would easily be able to evade the law if he put his mind to it. And since they were stuck in town until the snow plows came through, it wasn't like they could look anywhere else.

They split up one more time after lunch, planning to hit the last few stores before they called it a day and headed over to the Faire. The last shop on Ellie's side of the street was a music shop. She pushed through the door, the faint tinkle of the bell mixing with the warm sounds of Christmas music floating through the air. 

Surprisingly, in addition to the more traditional acoustic instruments, Ellie spied electric guitars and keyboards, and even some hooked up to computers that made it easy to transcribe whatever tune you were tinkering with into a piece of software that could play it back, complete with annotations. You could even print out the sheet music. It was a technological wonder, but she had a feeling that Tony wouldn't be impressed, considering the baby grand piano he had in his condo.

She wandered around for a bit, just taking in the warm atmosphere of the shop. A rack of sheet music beckoned her forward. She reached out a hand, her fingers skimming the pages as she took in the titles. Artists like Mozart and Beethoven mingled with Miles Davis and his contemporaries. 

One particular sheaf caught her attention, so she tugged it out. _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_ by Johan Sebastian Bach. The church choir used to perform it every year on Christmas Eve, so it always reminded her of home whenever she heard it. The pages were dog-eared and stained, giving away their age, though she doubted that they were anywhere close to original copies.

"Ah, the Bach," a man said behind her. Ellie turned around to see an older man with greying hair and a kind smile. "That particular copy was found in storage in a church in Charlotte about three years ago. They were renovating and found it in the attic. It's dated right around the 1920s, which isn't original, of course, but still a treasure. I've already sold most of that collection, but that one seems to have lingered."

"I love the song," Ellie said, dancing her fingers over the notes she could almost hear in her head. 

"Do you play?" he asked.

Ellie shook her head, stretching her hand out to return the sheaf to the shelf. "I don't, no."

"Surely you know someone who does," he said, smiling. 

"I—" She was going to say no, but she actually did know someone who played piano. Plus, they were going to be stuck in this little town on Christmas Day. Might be nice to have a present to give. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she got warm inside just thinking of Tony's reaction. "Actually, I do know someone who plays piano. How much?"

"Just for you, I'll give you the Evergreen discount," he said with a wink.

Ellie gave him the side-eye, but followed him to the register. The price he quoted was probably way too low, but she paid it anyway since trying to talk him out of it was like talking to a grinning mannequin.

"Are you staying in town?" he asked as he finalized the purchase.

"At the Columbia Inn," she said, nodding. "Why?"

"I tell you what," he said. "I'll wrap this and send it up to the Inn for you. You'll have it under the tree by sunset. Deal?"

"That'd be great," Ellie said. "Thank you, Mister…"

"Hale," he said. "Thomas Hale, ma'am."

Hence Hale Music, the name on the shop door. Ellie chuckled. "I'm pretty sure I'm too young to be called ma'am. I'm Ellie Bishop."

Mr. Hale smiled. "All ladies should be called ma'am at least once in their lives. It's good for the soul. And it's nice to meet you, Special Agent Bishop. Are you enjoying your stay in Evergreen?"

"It's a lovely town, Mr. Hale," she said, startled—though she knew she shouldn't be—that he knew who she was. "Not exactly where I expected to be spending my Christmas, but I'm actually enjoying it. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, so this all reminds me of home a little bit."

"Well, I'm glad you found us," Mr. Hale said. "Maybe you'll come back again one day."

"Maybe," Ellie said. She glanced at her watch. She had just a few minutes before she was supposed to meet Tony. "Thank you, again, Mr. Hale. I need to go meet my partner. It was nice chatting with you."

"Have a Merry Christmas, Special Agent Bishop," Mr. Hale said. 

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” she said.

He stood behind the counter and waved at her as she stepped out onto the street. Ellie felt mild chagrin as she realized that she hadn't even asked him about Harper or Dillon. But rather than go back inside, she opted to just head for the park and meet up with Tony. She was doubtful that they'd find the kid in town, anyway. Tim had said he'd alert the base MPs of their suspicions regarding Treyvon, so at least someone—who wasn't snowed in—could be out looking for him.

~o~

Tony glanced at his watch as he slowed down near the park entrance. He was just a little late, but in his defense, Miss Delia at the art shop had tried to talk his ear off. She'd prattled on about a lot of the folks in town, including the Bailey family. Good information, if a bit much. Plus, he'd found Ellie a Christmas present, so he considered the visit a win, even if he'd barely escaped in time.

Miss Delia had promised to wrap it up and get one of the high-schoolers in town to run it up to the Inn. Most of them were making extra money over the holidays either working at the various shops along Main Street or working as runners, taking people's packages to their homes or up to the Inn. Tony thought it was a great idea.

"There you are."

Tony turned around to find Ellie standing behind him with two hot chocolates. "I see you found Miss Nora."

"Of course," Ellie said, handing over a steaming cup. "She set aside a couple of cookies for us for later, but I really want to hit the roasted chestnut stand first."

"Well, then," Tony said with a smile. "Let's get going. Wouldn't want you to miss out."

They wandered off in search of the roasted chestnuts; Tony glanced all around him as they passed through the booths. Most of the town was out, either working at the booths selling various wares, or shopping and playing games. There were several traditional carnival-type games that people could pay 50 cents each to play. Prizes were vouchers for various merchants along Main Street, which was a lot better than tchotchkes you wouldn't want on your shelf or stuffed animals you didn't need.

"You know, this place is great," Ellie said. "It's like the whole town is straight out of a Hallmark movie."

"Yeah," Tony said. "If I had to be stranded somewhere on Christmas, there are definitely worse places. Can't fault the company, either."

Ellie blushed, though Tony figured that could just as easily be the cold.

"I can't imagine doing this with Tim or Gibbs," she said, shuddering.

"God, no," Tony said. "Gibbs would have shot someone long before now. He's not much for the Christmas Spirit."

"Can you blame him?" Ellie said softly. "I can't even imagine."

Tony hummed. "Losing the people that mean the most to you is its own sort of torture. Makes you want to just climb into a hole and pull the dirt in behind you."

"Is that why there's a Rule 12?" Ellie asked.

Tony guided her to a bench off the main path. They settled in and ate the chestnuts and sipped at the hot chocolate for a few moments.

"Rule 12 exists because Gibbs got involved—romantically involved—with a co-worker, and when it ended, he vowed never to do it again," Tony said.

"I take it the relationship ended badly," Ellie said.

"Eh," Tony said, wobbling his hand in the air in front of him. "It didn't end well. And then she became his boss, which was a hell of a different kind. Honestly, I can understand why he adopted that particular rule, even if I think it's too rigid."

"Would you ever get involved with someone you work with?" Ellie asked.

Tony looked over at her just in time to see her cringe. He reached out and tapped her nose.

"There was a time when I thought I'd never get involved with anyone again. I had a relationship end badly, so my solution to never getting hurt again was to just never fall in love. I dated, because I'm a healthy male in my prime, but I never kept a woman around longer than a couple of dates."

"That sounds… lonely," Ellie said.

"It is," he said. "Ultimately, I came to believe that if I found someone I couldn't live without, it wouldn't matter if we were co-workers or if we met on a blind date. Love is precious, and doesn't happen every day. I'd be a fool to ignore that." He paused, glancing at Ellie. "What about you? You gonna date, now that the divorce is final?"

"I'm not opposed," she said, shrugging. "I guess I just worry that dating someone I work with will—"

"Will end just as badly as it did with Jake?" he asked when she broke off abruptly. Ellie pressed her lips together and nodded tightly. "Oh, Ellie. It wasn't because you left the NSA that he cheated, you know that, right?"

"Maybe?"

"Jake cheated because he was weak," Tony said gently. "And because he didn't value you as much as he should have. You are a smart, amazing woman, and he was a fool. Unlike yours truly."

Tony flashed a smile, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He hadn't actually planned to say that, but he couldn't deny that Ellie was smart and amazing. He'd thought so from the start, but Rule 12 had been beaten into his brain from the beginning of his time on Gibbs' team. Although, privately, he thought maybe Rule 12 was an overreaction and should be amended.

"Maybe Rule 12 should be: If you're going to date a co-worker, make sure it's a forever thing."

Tony stared at Ellie, unable to quite believe the words coming out of her mouth, because he'd been thinking the same thing. The blush on her face deepened until she was a charming shade of red. He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"We're certainly a pair," he murmured into her ear. 

"A pair of what, exactly, is the question."

The music in the air changed, the first strains of The Twelve Days of Christmas drifting to them on the breeze.

"Mmmm," he hummed. "A pair of… turtle doves, maybe?"

Ellie snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Maybe."

Tony settled back into the bench and pulled Ellie closer. He wasn't sure if it was just the town, or if this had been building for a while, but something was changing between them. Far from being scared of it, though, he was… intrigued.

~o~

Ellie was snuggled under the covers, staring at the ceiling, waiting for Tony to come back. He'd cued up _It's A Wonderful Life_ , then told her to sit tight while he went to the kitchen to scare up some snacks. 

The Inn was pretty quiet. Most of the guests were out with family; she and Tony were the only ones without family in town. They'd gotten several offers for Christmas dinner, but Emma had informed them in no uncertain terms that she'd be feeding them Christmas dinner promptly at 3pm, and to not be late, so their plans were effectively settled.

"Okay," Tony said, rushing through the door almost before Ellie could miss him. He had a large bowl and a familiar carafe in his hands. "Emma was still in the kitchen. When she heard what we were doing, she whipped up some popcorn and a carafe of hot chocolate."

"I think I may be getting spoiled with nightly hot chocolate," Ellie said. 

Tony climbed under the covers as Ellie reached over to the night stand and grabbed the two mugs Emma had left there. Ellie was beginning to wonder if the woman was psychic. If she was, then it was catching, because the whole town appeared to be the same. 

"I asked her for the recipe," Tony said as he poured. "She laughed in my face. Said I'd have come around a few more years before she'd be willing to give over one of her family recipes."

"Well, that's something to aspire to, at least," Ellie said.

"Do you think you'll ever want to come back?" Tony asked. He settled back into the pillows and set the bowl of popcorn between them, then pressed play on the remote.

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "It’s not like I intended to come here this time. It is a nice town, though, and everyone's been very friendly."

"And if we arrest one of their own for the theft of some C4 from a Navy base, they're probably not going to throw us a parade," he said. 

"Point," Ellie said. "Although, I got the impression from the people I talked to today that Treyvon isn't exactly… beloved by the town. More like they have no idea why he keeps coming back, given that the Sheriff has arrested him so many times he has his own file cabinet drawer at the precinct."

Tony whistled. "Wow. Guess he's been busy."

"What are the odds he'll show up in town before we leave?" she asked quietly.

"Honestly?" he asked. "He'd be an idiot to come here, considering he probably used his own cousin's ID to get on the base he robbed. But I get the feeling being an idiot is this guy's superpower, so better than even, though I'm not counting on it."

"Then here's to idiots everywhere making our job easier," Ellie said. 

She held up her mug, and Tony tapped his against hers. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close as he snuggled down into the covers. Ellie leaned in, feeling unaccountably warmer. She hadn't been looking for anyone, and she wasn't sure this thing with Tony was a good idea considering what happened with Jake. 

But Tony was different than Jake. More confident and less concerned with what other people thought. He knew who he was, and what he was capable of. And there was more to him than the jokester that most people at the office saw. The more she saw, the more she liked.

It was dangerous, but then so much of her life was wrapped in danger these days. What was one more thing? Besides, she had a sneaking suspicion that Tony would be worth it.

She sighed, shoving those thoughts away as she focused on the movie. Another day and they'd be out of here, whether they made an arrest or not. Maybe then she wouldn't be so preoccupied with her SFA anymore.

~o~


	3. Chapter 3

~o~

Christmas morning dawned cold and quiet. The whole town was snowed in; they were expecting another two feet of snow overnight which, when added to the five feet already on the ground, meant they might not dig out until spring.

Tony sighed and settled deeper into the bed. He was wrapped around Ellie, who was sleeping quietly in his arms. Far from being awkward, he was pleasantly comfortable. The faint smell of flowers drifted up from Ellie's hair, and her body was soft and warm. He was thinking things he had no business thinking, but for just a few moments, he was happy to think them.

Ellie stirred awake slowly while he was enjoying the moment. "Time izzit?"

"It's just before eight," he said, glancing over her shoulder at the clock. "You hungry at all?"

"I could eat," she said, yawning. "I could really use some coffee."

"Then you have two choices," he said. "You can get up and run down to the kitchen, or you can stay here and I'll go."

"Don't like either choice," she said as she wiggled deeper into his arms. "But if I have to choose, I vote for you going to the kitchen. Emma likes you."

Tony chuckled. "It's my charm and good looks."

"Definitely your good looks," Ellie said.

Without thinking, he pressed a kiss to the back of her head and slipped out of bed. "Keep the sheets warm for me."

"Maybe you could start a fire in the fireplace," she said sleepily. "We're probably not going to go out today, so it'd be nice to have one going."

"Yes, ma'am," he said. 

He chuckled as he watched her drift off into sleep again. Shaking his head, he shoved his feet into his shoes and headed for the door. When he swung the door open, he stopped short. Sitting on a tray on the floor were two covered plates and a carafe of coffee, along with two mugs.

Tony shook his head, a smile stealing over his face. Emma was probably the most efficient innkeeper he'd ever met. She reminded him of Gibbs, which made him shudder just a little. He reached down and picked up the tray, bringing it inside as he kicked the door closed.

"Turns out Emma does room service on Christmas morning," he said. He set the tray down on the bench at the foot of the bed as Ellie sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "I found this in front of the door."

He lifted the cover off one of the dishes. Pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs, still gently steaming. The second plate held much the same. 

"That smells great," Ellie said.

Tony grabbed a plate and some silverware and handed it to Ellie. "I'm wondering if we're going to get the same treatment for supper."

"Maybe she's trying to keep a low profile today," she said. "I mean, I doubt she'd want to work at all today."

"If I thought she wouldn't kill me, I'd do these dishes after breakfast," Tony said. He glanced down and saw a folded piece of paper on the tray. "Huh. Looks like she left us a note."

"What's it say?" Ellie asked as she dug in.

He picked it up and read the note.

_Tony & Ellie—  
Don't worry about the breakfast dishes. Just leave them in the kitchen and I'll take care of them later. I'll leave the urn on, so feel free to help yourself today. There'll be a snack in the kitchen for you around eleven, and supper in the dining room at three.  
Enjoy the day. Merry Christmas!  
Emma_

"Well, she's definitely thorough," Ellie said.

Tony set the note aside and poured out the coffee, handing a cup over to Ellie. He set the carafe on his nightstand, grabbed his plate and cup and climbed up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged facing Ellie. 

"I wonder why Emma never learned to cook?" Ellie asked as she worked her way through the pancakes.

"She can cook breakfast, that's for sure," Tony said. "Pancakes are easy; cooking dinner is a little more complicated. Maybe she just couldn't get the hang of it."

"Or she just doesn't like to," Ellie said. "I'm not exactly the world's best cook, but I do know how. I don't really enjoy it much, so I don't cook very often."

"Well, then, you'll have to come over some night so I can cook for you," he said. "Because I enjoy cooking. Mixing ingredients into different combinations finding out what works and what doesn't. It's fun."

"You say so," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I can think of other things I'd rather be doing for fun. I do like eating, though."

Tony laughed. "Then you come hungry and I'll cook up some good old-fashioned pasta with my homemade sauce. It's amazing, if I do say so myself."

"It's a date," Ellie said, smiling.

Tony felt a flutter of excitement bloom in his belly before he could stop it. Shaking it off, he set his plate aside and poured more coffee. 

"So, shall we have a walk after supper?"

"I doubt any of the stores are open," Ellie said. "And even if they were, I kinda feel like we're not going to find Treyvon here."

"Not the point," Tony said. "I thought it'd be nice to just wander around and take in the lights. It's Christmas, after all. Our day off?"

Ellie flushed. "Yeah, a walk sounds nice."

"Alright then," Tony said. "If you're finished, we can head downstairs and take the dishes to the kitchen. Maybe hang out in the living room for a while."

"Sounds good to me," Ellie said.

Tony climbed out of bed, dropped the plate and mug on the tray and pulled on a pair of shoes. He'd been sleeping in sweats, so he really didn't need to get changed. Ellie had been wearing an oversized t-shirt and sweats, so she pulled on a sweatshirt and her shoes as he picked up the tray and headed for the door.

The Inn was quiet as they made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tony felt a little naughty as they walked into the kitchen. Since their arrival, neither of them had ever been beyond the dining room, so it felt a little like they were sneaking in after curfew.

"Wow, this place is spotless," Ellie said as they crossed to the sink. "There's no way I'm leaving dirty dishes in this sink."

Tony peered into the sink, taking note of the sparkling surface. "Yeah, no. I can't do it either. Let's hope she's in a forgiving mood."

They made quick work of the dishes. Tony refilled their mugs from the urn—which was indeed full of steaming hot coffee—and they headed to the living room. The tree was sparkling in the corner, near the front window so it could be seen from the street. There was a fire in the fireplace, crackling merrily. 

Tony snorted. "It's like she knew we'd come down here."

"Well, there are presents under the tree," Ellie said, pointing to the wrapped packages under the tree.

"Hmmm," Tony said. He walked over to the tree and knelt down. "Wonder who these are for?"

"Well, one of them had better be for you, or else I'm going to have words with Mr. Hale."

Tony reached out and picked up the rectangular package, wrapped in gold paper with a festive red ribbon. He shook the present, earning an outraged squeak from Ellie.

"Hey, don't do that!" She grabbed the box and took it with her to the couch. 

"It sounded empty, Ellie," Tony said. He picked up another package and joined her on the couch.

"It better not be," Ellie muttered.

"Here," Tony said, handing over the package. It was wrapped in paper with pine branches and pinecones scattered all over. A green ribbon tied in a huge bow topped the package.

"Awww," Ellie said, smiling. "Thank you."

"Go ahead, open it," Tony said.

He watched nervously as Ellie pulled the ribbon and paper off. He'd thought of her immediately when he saw it, but he wasn't sure how she was going to react.

She pulled the paper away to reveal a wooden box. Turning it over in her hands, she frowned. There was a latch on the side, holding it closed. Her slim fingers popped the latch, and she opened the lid on the box. Inside were colored pencils in a rainbow of shades, along with an assortment of tools to use with the pencils. Nestled into the bottom of the box was an easel and a sketchpad of high-quality paper.

"I—Tony, how did you know?" she asked, lifting surprised eyes to his. "I mean, I used to draw when I was younger, but I haven't done it in a long time."

"I've noticed that you doodle," Tony said. "Your notepads are full of doodles in the margins. You clean up your notes when you turn in your reports, but I've seen the evidence. No pun intended."

Ellie blushed. "Are you hinting that I might need to get a life?"

"No," Tony said, shaking his head. He laid his arm along the back of the couch, tugging lightly on her pony tail. "I'm saying that you clearly enjoy drawing. Now you have no excuses for not doing it. Unless you want to keep doodling on your notes. I mean, you can; I'm not going to tell you no. I just thought you might need some supplies if you're going to take it up again."

"Thank you, Tony," she said. "I appreciate this. I really do."

"You're welcome, Ellie."

"Okay, your turn," she said, handing over the gold-wrapped package.

Tony took it and turned it over, giving it another experimental shake. When he glanced up, Ellie was giving him a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Tony asked. "I like to savor the suspense."

Ellie huffed. Tony just grinned as he tore the wrapping off the package. He lifted the lid off and parted the tissue paper. Inside, he found a creamy folio. He glanced at Ellie, who was nibbling on her lower lip, clearly nervous. He smiled, then returned his attention to the gift. He picked up the folio and set the box aside. 

When he flipped open the folio, he took an unsteady breath. " _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_ , arranged for piano, 1923. It's beautiful."

"I remember the choir at church used to sing it every year on Christmas Eve," Ellie said quietly.

"It was actually my mother's favorite," Tony said. "When I learned how to play the piano… This song was why I learned. This one and a few others that my mother loved."

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah," Tony said. He looked up at her and smiled. "For all that my mom wasn't perfect, she loved me. That's all any kid can ask for, really. So, thank you for this. I didn't have this sheet music, and I'm not sure why. I'm looking forward to playing it when we get home."

"I'm glad," Ellie said. "Would you mind if I came over and listened?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Tony said. 

He leaned forward, pausing as he flicked his eyes down to her lips, giving her fair warning of his intentions. When she leaned a little closer on her own, he took it for the invitation it was and pressed his lips to hers. His eyes fluttered closed as the rightness of the moment settled into his bones. 

Ellie sighed as he pulled back, but her eyes were sparkling when he looked up.

"You want some more coffee?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," she said with a smile. "How about we head upstairs and watch a movie?"

"I like how you think," Tony said. He pecked her lips again, just because he could. He picked up her mug and his own mostly-empty one and stood. "I'll meet you upstairs. Go ahead and pick something to watch."

"Are you sure you trust me with such an important task?" she asked as she stood up.

"As long as it's not _A Christmas Story_ , we're good," Tony said.

"Let me guess, someone told you once too many times that whatever it was would put your eye out," Ellie said.

"Something like that," Tony said. He winked at her. "But a Hallmark Christmas movie wouldn't be out of place."

"Duly noted," Ellie said. 

She pushed up on her toes and pressed quick kiss to his lips. She picked up both their Christmas presents and turned to head up the stairs, flashing a smile at him over her shoulder.

Tony shook his head, amazed at how easily they'd slipped into the kissing. Rule 12 rattled around in his brain for a moment before he could shove it back in the box labeled 'Gibbs' Issues'. He wasn't going to let someone else's problems ruin a perfectly good snow day.

~o~

Supper, as Emma had called it, was really just a romantic dinner for two since Emma had declined to join them. She'd poured wine and served them turkey and all the trimmings, and hadn't even berated them for doing the breakfast dishes. She'd just informed them that there was cheesecake in the fridge and a fresh pot of hot chocolate on the stove for later, then taken herself off to the apartment she kept above the garage.

Ellie was more amused than she cared to admit at the whole thing. It was easily the best Christmas she'd spent in a long time.

"You think we could get away with doing the dishes twice in one day?" Tony asked as they finished up their meal.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to make her come back down here just to do our dishes," Ellie said. "Besides, we didn't get in trouble for this morning, so I'm feeling optimistic."

"You remember those 'extras' she said we'd negotiate at check-out?" Tony asked. "I wouldn't put it past her to charge extra just because we invaded her kitchen and did her dishes."

Ellie laughed. "I look forward to the argument that'll ensue."

"What do you say we get these dishes done and then head out for a walk?" Tony asked. "We can grab the cheesecake and hot chocolate on our way back and head upstairs to watch another movie."

" _Die Hard_?" Ellie asked. "It is a Christmas movie, after all."

Tony pointed at her. "I like how you think. _Die Hard_ it is."

They made quick work of the dishes, then ran upstairs to grab their jackets and scarves. It was still relatively early, just before five o'clock, but the temperature had fallen rapidly because of the snow, so they bundled up as much as they were able.

Instead of walking toward Main Street, Tony turned them into a residential area and they slowly walked along the sidewalks, admiring the Christmas lights and decorations people had put out. It was charming and very small-town America, and it reminded Ellie a lot of her home town.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Tony asked as they walked along.

"Just thinking about home," Ellie said. "The town I grew up in. We used to go all out for Christmas when I was a kid. Lights, decorations. It seemed like everyone had a holiday party, and everyone was invited to all of them. We even threw one on the farm the week before Christmas."

"Sounds special," Tony said. He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, swinging them gently as they walked. "Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," she said, tilting her head. "Mostly I think it was just… too small a place for me. I miss the people more than I miss the place, actually. I couldn’t wait to get out when I was younger."

"Think you'll ever go back?" he asked.

"For a visit, yeah," she said. "To stay? No. I don't think I could be happy with that kind of small life. What about you? Do you miss your hometown?"

"Long Island?" Tony asked. "Not even a little bit. I grew up in the Hamptons, mostly. There were grand parties at the holidays, and everyone was trying to outdo everyone else. Not a genuine sentiment to be found. They threw money around like it was candy, trying to outdo each other." He took a deep breath. "No, I think I like it much better where I am. DC is still a big city, but I've got friends all over. If I need to leave town for a few days, I have options."

"That sounds… lonely," Ellie said.

"I remember being very lonely as a child," Tony murmured. "And not only because I was an only child. But I left as soon as I could, and I've never looked back. New York City is fun to visit at Christmas, but I've never really seen it as home. This place has possibilities, though. It's… charming."

"It is, in a creepy all-knowing, all-seeing way," she said. "I could get used to it, though."

"But next time we find ourselves in Evergreen, maybe we could do without being snowed in," he said.

"Amen," she said, nodding her head.

They walked along for a time in companionable silence, just enjoying the sights and each other's company. Finally, when it got to be just a bit too cold, they headed back to the Inn. Ellie could still see their tracks in the snow along the path to the porch, which was a good sign. No more fresh snow meant they might actually get out of town sooner rather than later.

Tony stopped her on the porch rather than head inside. Ellie raised an eyebrow; she glanced around, but didn't see any mistletoe, so that wasn't it.

"Before we go inside, I just want to know where you're at with this whole thing," he said, holding up their joined hands.

"Vacation fling or something more… meaningful?" she asked, hazarding a guess.

"Yeah," he said. He let out a sigh. "See, the thing is, this could get complicated at work. So, if you don't think you can do complicated, we can just chalk it up to the Evergreen weirdness and call it good."

Ellie shrugged. "I like complicated."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "Because you've had nothing but complicated in your life since you joined NCIS. I won't blame you if you just want to pretend the whole thing never happened."

"I won't lie and say this thing doesn't freak me out," Ellie said. "But that doesn't mean it's not worth it. I have a feeling things with you would be complicated whether we worked together or not. That's just your default setting."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma and full of so much complicated shit that it'd make your head spin."

"Like I said, I like complicated," she said, chuckling. She took a step closer, putting herself firmly in his personal space. "But the truth is, you're a good man, Tony DiNozzo. You're loyal, honest and more importantly, honorable. I don't worry about myself with you. I think that's what makes it easy to be with you. If you think you can handle me, that is."

"Bring it on," he said, eyes sparkling. "I think you're a smart, compassionate person. It would be my honor to take any place in your life you'll offer me."

"Then how about we start with being my date for New Year's Eve and we'll see where it goes from there?" she asked.

"It would be my pleasure, Ellie Bishop," he said.

Tony bent down just as Ellie pushed up onto her toes. Their lips pressed together with a tingle of something undefinable. Ellie pulled back and glanced up. There, hanging from the porch roof was a beautiful sprig of mistletoe, sparkling in the moonlight.

"Huh," she said, puzzled. "I don't remember that being there before."

"Me either," he said. He shook his head. "This town is seriously freaking me out."

"Same time next year?" Ellie asked with a wink.

Tony winked back. "Same time next year. But maybe with new parlor tricks, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ellie said. "Good luck with that."

They tumbled inside and headed straight for the kitchen and the promised cheesecake. Emma had left a tray out with a carafe ready to be filled with hot chocolate, and two slices of cheesecake already plated in the fridge. There was also another note.

_Pancake breakfast at 8am tomorrow morning in the park. The whole town will be there. You don't want to miss it. You'll never hear the end of it if you do, trust me.  
~Emma_

Tony burst out laughing. "Well, she's definitely a character."

Ellie read the note and joined in Tony's laughter. "I guess we should plan to be at the park at eight, then. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone."

"Definitely not," Tony said.

They headed upstairs with their haul, still chuckling over the antics of this town.

~o~

When Emma had said the whole town would be out for the Boxing Day Pancake Fest—as the sign at the entrance to the park declared it—she hadn't been kidding. Most of the folks Tony and Ellie had talked to over their few days in town were there, and over the course of breakfast, they were introduced to the ones they hadn't met yet.

"It might be worth it to come back just for the pancakes," Ellie said as she shoved another bite into her mouth.

Tony could only gape at her. "That's your third plate. Are you ever going to stop?"

"Maybe," Ellie said, shrugging. "Food's kind of my thing, I guess."

"Oh really?" Tony said. "I hadn't noticed."

Ellie bumped her shoulder against his. "Funny."

"Not gonna lie," Tony said. "These pancakes really are good. I wonder what it would take to get the recipe out of Beverly?"

"For this, but not for the lasagna?" Ellie asked, one eyebrow raised. "What kind of Italian are you?"

"The kind that knows pasta recipes are sacred," Tony said. "Possibly State Secret-level sacred. A person doesn’t mess with another person's pasta recipe. It's just not done."

Ellie sat gaping at him for just a heartbeat before she shoved at his shoulder, hard. "I don’t believe you."

"Okay, so maybe not that bad," he said, chuckling. "But seriously, most pasta and sauce recipes are passed down through families. And people get touchy about their family recipes."

"Do you have some?" she asked.

"I do," he said. "And maybe, if you're very good, I'll share them with you."

"Mmmm," she hummed. "That has promise."

"How are you folks doing?"

Tony looked up to find the Sheriff standing beside their picnic table, smiling benevolently. He smiled back. "We're actually enjoying ourselves. Your town is quite lovely."

"I'm glad," Boyd said. "The county was through sometime last night, so the roads are clear. I expect that means you'll be leaving soon?"

"Probably," Tony said. "Our team back in DC is still working some other leads, so we should rejoin them and figure out what our next move is."

"Well, stop by the Sheriff's office on your way out of town," Boyd said. "I'll turn over Treyvon and the C4 to you before you leave."

"The… what?" Ellie asked.

"Caught up with him early this morning," Boyd said, smiling. "Found a duffel bag full of C4 in his trunk. I expect that's what you're looking for?"

"Yes, it is," Tony said. "How did you know it would be Treyvon and not Allen?"

The Sheriff shrugged. "Allen's not the type, but I suspect you folks have already figured that out. Plus, Treyvon hasn't been back to town since he left at eighteen. Him coming back gets noticed."

"What did you arrest him for?" Ellie asked.

Tony was curious as well. If the charge was nebulous enough, the good Sheriff might have put the arrest at risk.

"Driving erratically," Boyd said. "He failed the field sobriety test and blew a .11 on the breathalyzer."

"This morning?" Tony asked. "Was he out drinking all night?"

"Apparently, it was a very Merry Christmas for him."

"No kidding," Tony said. He stood up and reached out a hand. "Thanks, Sheriff. We appreciate the assist."

Boyd shook his hand. "Nick, please. And it's no bother. Treyvon's been headed down this road for a good long time. Maybe an extended stay in prison will sort him out. You folks have a safe trip back."

"Thanks," Tony said. He sat back down next to Ellie and blew out a breath. "Well, that's that. Not a wasted trip after all."

"I'd say it was a very successful trip," Ellie said. She leaned over and kissed him, and when she pulled back, she licked her lips. Tony had to take a deep breath and remind his libido that they were in public. "Mmmm, maple syrup. Yummy."

"You are going to be hell on my control, aren't you?" he asked.

"Probably," she said, winking at him. 

"If you're finished inhaling all the pancakes, we should head back up to the Inn and check out," he said. "I'll call Gibbs and give him the good news."

"And I'll call dispatch and see if we can get on a flight to Andrews," Ellie said as she stood up. "If we're very lucky, we'll be back in DC tonight, and I won't have to miss out on my date on New Year's Eve."

"That sounds like an excellent plan," Tony said. 

He stood up and followed her to the dish return. It took them far longer than he'd anticipated to get out of the park, because it seemed like everyone in town stopped them to say a few words. By the time they made it up to the Inn, an hour had passed.

Ellie had gotten them on an afternoon flight, so they had plenty of time to get down the mountain, providing the county had actually plowed the whole road. 

Negotiating the bill took less time than Tony had thought it would. Turned out that the extras that Emma had mentioned when they checked in were actually discounts for being a local and doing their own dishes. Tony had objected to the locals-only discount, but Emma wouldn't budge so he'd finally stopped arguing and just paid the bill. At least Gibbs wouldn't complain about the budget for this trip.

They swung by the Sheriff's office to pick up Treyvon and the C4 on their way out of town. The Sheriff had everything ready to go, including the arrest report, breathalyzer results and the evidence log for the seizure of the C4. Tony signed in all the appropriate places, grateful for Boyd's thoroughness.

As they were driving out of town, Tony took one last look. The lights were still twinkling in the mid-morning sun, and the town still looked like a Hallmark movie set, but he could acknowledge, even if just to himself, that he was going to miss the place.

"Can't believe Boyd arrested me again," Treyvon said from the back seat. "I hate that place."

"Don't like your home town?" Ellie asked as she turned in her seat to face the rear.

"What, Evergreen?" Treyvon asked. "Hell, no. It's just a dusty old town. Half the shops closed down in the 90s, and the only people left are the ones too stupid to move."

Ellie looked at Tony. "Is he talking about the same town?"

Tony glanced in the rear-view mirror again, and for just a moment, it looked like an old run-down, half-deserted town. But then the shimmer and shine snapped back into focus and it was beautiful again. He looked at Ellie, who'd been looking at the town through the rear window. She raised an eyebrow and got one from Tony in return.

"You say so," she said as she turned around and faced forward. "It'll always be special to me."

Tony reached out and took Ellie's hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "To me, too."

He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back as they drove away. Yeah, he was going to miss Evergreen, but hopefully it'd be there the next time they needed to get away.

~o~


	4. Chapter 4

~o~

Epilogue

Ellie jogged down the ramp into MTAC and pulled up next to Tony. He turned and smiled at her. "You're just in time. They're about to connect us."

"Good," Ellie said.

They turned to face the screen just as it came to life, the NCIS logo replaced with a very familiar face.

"Seaman Harper," Tony said, smiling. "Nice to meet you. This is Special Agent Bishop."

"Special Agents DiNozzo, Bishop," Harper said. "Nice to meet you, too. MY CO said you wanted to speak to me. Is this about my lost ID?"

"Lost ID?" Tony said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I filed a report with the Base MPs," Harper said. "Didn't they tell you?"

Tony looked at Ellie, who was looking at him with the same expression on her face. 

"Funny that the Base MPs never mentioned it to us," Ellie said. "Did you tell them what you thought had happened to it?"

Harper's face cycled through a few different expressions before settling on resigned. "Yeah, I told them I thought Treyvon—my cousin, Treyvon Dillon—had taken it. He'd been pestering me to get him on Base. I think he wanted to case the place, honestly. I finally gave in, just to get him off my back."

"Did you show him any sensitive areas on the Base?" Tony asked.

"No, definitely not," Harper said, shaking his head. "We stuck to the public areas of the Base. But there are plenty of signs all around, so it's not like he couldn't have figured out where to go."

"Your grandmother was pretty convinced you didn't do it," Tony said. "Adamant, really."

"You went to Evergreen?" Harper asked.

"We were told that you were planning to spend the holidays back home," Ellie said. "We didn't find out until we talked to your grandmother that you'd been deployed at the last minute."

"Yeah, my Grams was pretty disappointed," Harper said. "So was I, but I go where the Navy sends me. She understands that, but it's still hard. My grandfather served, and so did both my parents."

"Your grandmother is certainly something," Tony said, smiling at the memory of the petite librarian. "Everyone in that town is something, really."

"Evergreen is… special," Harper said. His smile grew. "Christmas is actually my favorite time of the year to be in Evergreen. All the garland and lights. The Christmas Faire and the—"

"Pancake breakfast the day after Christmas," Ellie finished for him. "The maple syrup is to die for."

Harper chuckled. "Yeah, it is. Did you have some of Beverly's lasagna? I swear it's made of awesome. Like, literally made of awesome."

"I'm going to owe my Italian grandmother an apology for this, but it was the best I've ever had," Tony said. 

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ellie asked. She flicked her eyes to Tony, who gave her a subtle nod. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to ask, and he was curious himself. "Treyvon mentioned that the town was pretty run down, and that half the businesses in town were closed. But when we were there, the whole place couldn't have looked more… alive."

"Yeah," Harper said. His smile became wistful. "Like I said, Evergreen is special. Magical."

"Why do I get the feeling you mean that literally?" Ellie asked.

"Because Evergreen is magical," Harper said. "It's like, think back to when you were a kid. There was probably one place in your world where you thought anything was possible. Where it seemed like magic was in the air. That's Evergreen."

"And Treyvon didn't feel that way?" Tony asked.

"No, he didn't," Harper said. "He couldn't wait to get out of that town, and even now, he hates going back. Where did you find him?"

"In Evergreen," Tony said. "Any idea why he'd go back to someplace he seems to hate?"

Harper shrugged. "Probably because that's the last place anyone would think to look for him. He knows that town like the back of his hand. He probably thought he could hide out, lay low until the heat was off. There are plenty of places on the outskirts of town that he could hide. Barnes and other outbuildings. Plus, a couple of hunting cabins further out in the sticks."

"Yeah, well, it looks like he forgot the first rule of being on the run," Ellie said. "Don't draw any attention."

"What'd he do?" Harper asked.

"Got drunk, apparently," Tony said. "The Sheriff clocked him at .11 when he pulled him over."

"Good old Sheriff Boyd, huh?" Harper said, smiling and shaking his head. "He used to roust all us kids when we were screwing around. Take us home to face our parents, which was worse than being arrested and put in jail."

"How long has he been Sheriff in Evergreen?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Harper said. "He's been around as long as I can remember. Looks about the same, too."

"Magic, huh?" Tony asked, one eyebrow raised.

Harper chuckled. "Yeah, magic, Special Agent DiNozzo. But only if you believe."

"Thanks for your time, Seaman Harper," Tony said.

"Thanks for reaching out," Harper said. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year to you, too," Ellie said.

The call ended with the NCIS logo flashing up onto the screen.

"Do you believe him?" Ellie said, turning to Tony. "About Evergreen? And… magic?"

Tony chuckled at the face Ellie made when she said the word magic. "There was something… otherworldly about that town. Was it magic? I have no idea. But I'm willing to entertain the possibility that there's something about that town that defies explanation."

"It was… unique," Ellie said. "Special. It felt like home, which is weird considering neither of us had ever been there before."

"You get the feeling like we were set up?" Tony said. "Like we were supposed to end up in Evergreen over Christmas?"

"Maybe?" Ellie said. "It does seem rather convenient that we were pointed in that direction."

"Well, it'll always hold a special place in my heart, anyway," Tony said.

"Why's that?" Ellie asked.

"Because it brought us together," Tony said quietly. 

He wanted to reach out to her and hold her close, but they were at work. They hadn't discussed the change in their relationship with Gibbs; neither of them was looking forward to that conversation, but neither were they in a hurry. Tony just wanted to enjoy getting to know Ellie on a more personal level. There'd be time enough for them to explain things to their bosses after the holidays.

"It did, didn't it?" Ellie said, smiling coyly at him. "So, maybe it's not so bad after all. Magic."

"Speaking of," Tony said. "I owe you a pasta dinner. Care to collect tonight?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Ellie said, winking at him.

"Then shall we?" Tony asked, sweeping his hand toward the door. "The sooner we finish our reports, the sooner we can get out of here."

Ellie headed for the door with Tony following behind. Just before he walked through on the way back to the bullpen, he glanced back to the screen, even though Seaman Harper was no longer there. He shook his head and smiled.

Magic.

~Finis


End file.
